Chapter 4: Heart of Tempered Steel
Mission 1 : The Rebellion Begins Control 10 Provinces. Helmguard must not fall. Your first days as the ruler of the Iron Republic have not been easy. Only a few loyal men came with you when you seceded from Kingdom Rule. Ten brave soldiers and two heavy infantry men are now holed up at Helmguard Fortress, a wary bunch looking to you to provide leadership. Now is it the time to gather support for the Republic. Take your men and ride through Brandor, inciting rebellion. Ten provinces should be enough to cause King Lionel grief. Watch for the Templar Church, who have heard of your betrayal and will hunt you down. Your revolt has been an unmitigated disaster. The people of Brandor looked upon you with scorn, calling you a communist, a usurper and a treasonous cad. The Iron Republic has fallen before it even began. Many men are swayed by your passionate speeches and determination. Soon your ranks swell, the power of Helmguard grows and the Iron Republic is born. A voice for the common man in a sea of monarchist indulgance and archaic feudal rule. Mission 2 : Populi Ex Machina Find the Machine of the People, rumoured to be in an urban city, in less than 16 turns Whilst you were in the service of King Lionel, you often talked with scholars about a legendary artifact, the Machine of the People. Supposedly this machine, a vastly complex kit of cogs, steam pipes and engines, can be put together to forge a mighty colossus. Such a towering force would inspire your new Republic and give the people faith in your cause. Search the realms for it, do not rest until it is found. Your search proves futile and pointless. Worse still, after you third month of searching, you fall gravely ill and die of a mysterious wasting disease. The Iron Republic dies with you. In an abandoned warehouse, just on the outskirts of Port Skulden, you find the Machine under a great pile of scrap metal. Although it is covered in dust, your men are able to haul it outside and begin assembly on your colossus. Mission 3 : The Great Wonder of Helmguard Build an Iron Giant in 25 turns Poverty is one of the great struggles of your fledgling republic. Although your scholars and enginners work tirelessly on the Iron Giant, it is proving to be a hugely expensive project. Worse still, attacks from the Kingdom have intensified, and like a vulture, the evil HeChaos has decided you might be an easy kill. Build your Iron Giant quickly, or the Republic will surely fall. With the Iron Republic’s coffers empty, your Machine falls into disrepair and rust. Destitute and penniless, the Republic dwindles into obscurity and once again its lands are claimed by Lionel and the Kingdom. Finally it is complete. A mighty Iron Giant stands before you, some 70 feet high and weighing over two hundred tonnes. This soulless killing machine will surely give your people the edge in Helmguard fight for control of the realm. Mission 4 : The Greatest Colossus In The World, Part I Destroy all rival colossi in the realm. Brimming with patroitic pride, you gaze up at the Iron Giant. This surely, is the greatest of all the colossi in the world. Greater than King Lionel’s pathetic archangel or the stinking Prime Ape. Faster than Spheracles and stronger then Belgreave’s Grail Knight. Prove it. Take the Iron Giant through the realm and defeat all of your rival colossi. The Iron Giant was great, but not the greatest. It is now little more than a pile of wreckage, a charred mess of gears and cogs. The Iron Giant stands victorious over the smouldering corpses of his colossal foes. Truly, you are the Greatest Colossus In The World… for now. Mission 5 : Glory To The Republic Conquer Braxis, home of the Free States and Drakondier, home of the Templar Church. When the Iron Giant, greatest robot in the world, returns to Helmguard victorious, all rejoyced. The Kingdom and its allies are reeling from the losses of their colossi, so now is the time to strike. Whilst the Kingdom is too strong for the Iron Republic still, the Templar Church and Free States are of a similar size to your growing army. Strike now, destroy their home cities and strike a blow to the very heart of King Lionel and his allies. You greatly overestimated your own strenght and the power of the Iron Republic. The Templar Church soldiers fought valiantly against you, defeating you at every turn. Free States armies forced you back, capturing your lands. The Iron Republic has taken a huge hit, support for you has plumetted. Whether you will recover from this great tragedy, who can say. Drakondiers churches lie broken and shattered and the port city of Braxis burns. Wolfgang and Belgrave flee to Phaetor. The Kingdom has been greatly weakened, and the rise of the Iron Republic is now complete. Arise, Lord Helmguard, Protector of the Common Man.